ANDERSEN GROUP - English

History of Andersen Group

1948

Established in Hiroshima city by Shunsuke Takaki, his wife, two staffs including a baker.

1951	Established Takaki’s Pan Co.,Ltd.

1959	The founder (then president) Shunsuke Takaki went on his first study trip to Europe, and encountered Danish pastries in Copenhagen.

1961	Established Senogawa factory (current Hiroshima factory) in Hiroshima.

1962	Developed and sold Danish pastries for the first time in Japan.

1966	Sent the specialists to Denmark to learn cooking at hotel Østerport.

1967

Opened a flagship store "Andersen" as the model and core of our service functions at Hondori, the main shopping street in Hiroshima. It is named after Hans Christian Andersen, the world-famous Danish story-teller.

1968

Invited Mr. Walter Jorn Petersen from Denmark to receive technical guidance. He agreed to visit us in the future as well to provide guidance.

1968

Held the Andersen Denmark Fair in commemoration of Andersen store's first anniversary.

1969	Mr. Niels Hansen visited us from Denmark to provide us technical guidance on pastries. He agreed to visit us in the future as well to provide guidance.

1970

Perfected Japan's first "Frozen Dough System" after 10 years of research and development. Established Chiyoda factory to produce large quantities of bread dough.

Sent 21 employees to the Scandinavia Pavilion at the expo (later, they became the main staff at Andersen Aoyama).

Andersen Aoyama opened.

1970	Established Okayama factory in Okayama-Pref.

1972	Started the development of franchise chain, Little Mermaid bakery which provided freshly baked bread by using frozen bread. Acquired the patent of opening to the public concerning the manufacturing method of the frozen bread dough.

1974	Established Hadano factory in Kanagawa-Pref, which makes a specialty of manufacturing frozen bread dough as a manufacturing base in East Japan.

1978

Expansion and improvement of Andersen Hiroshima, borrowing a design image from Scandinavia, were completed.

1981

H.M.Queen Margrethe II and H.R.H.Prince Henrik visited Andersen Hiroshima.

1968

Invested in the Diamond food Inc. and opened the first Grain D'or
in California.

1982	Andersen Co.,Ltd presided operation divisions in metropolitan area, Japan and Andersen Hiroshima . Established Matsuyama factory in Ehime-Pref.

1983

Established the "Andersen Fairy Tale Award" in commemoration of the 35th anniversary, and started inviting works under sponsorship of the Danish Embassy. The award has been granted annually since then.

1984

The founder (then chairman) Shunsuke Takaki received the Dannebrog Knight's Cross from the Danish royal court.

1985

Invited the Danish Royal Ballet Company to Hiroshima to perform "Copperia."

Andersen Aoyama moved to new premises. Invited the marzipan specialist Mr. Tonny Jensen from Odense Marcipan A/S, Denmark.

1986	The founder (then chairman) Shunsuke Takaki was appointed the position of honorary consul of the Kingdom of Denmark in Hiroshima.

1987

H.R.H. The Crown Prince Frederik visited Andersen Hiroshima.

1988	Andersen Hiroshima was renewed and re-opened as "Town of Hygge."

1989

Established Tsukuba Center in Tsukuba-City Ibaragi-Pref as a distributing base in metropolitan area.

1992

Vice-president (current president of Andersen Institute of Bread and Life Co.,Ltd.), Seiichi Takaki, was appointed the position of honorary consul of the Kingdom of Denmark in Hiroshima.

1993	Invited Jørn Nielsen from Odense Marcipan A/S to receive technical guidance.

1995

President Seiichi Takaki was appointed the position as honorary counselor of the Danish Bread Association as the first Japanese in history.
The sister of Danish queen Margrethe II, princess Bernedikte, visited Andersen Aoyama.

1996	Danish Ambassador to Japan Flemming Hedegaard and the Minister of Education of Greenland visited Andersen Group.

1998

Provided 50 types of open sandwiches ("smørrebrød") at the Andersen Hiroshima Denmark Fair and invited Mr. Alan Carlsen from Denmark. Moreover, paper-cutting artist Sonia Brandes and Danish Embassy Executive Counselor Mr. Eric Klindt Andersen visited our stores together with his wife to open seminars.

2000

Danish Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Ms.Ritt Bjerregaard visited Andersen Group. After touring Hiroshima factory and Chiyoda factory, she visited Andersen Hiroshima.

2001

President Seiichi Takaki received the Dannebrog Knight’s Cross from the Royal Danish Court.

The founder Shunsuke Takaki passed away.

2002

Andersen Hiroshima was renewed and opened with the concept of "the Bakery and more: Hyggelig Life Starting with Bread."

Planted 500 cherry trees and placed a memorial stone for Shunsuke Takaki in Gavnø Slot just south of Copenhagen.

Andersen Co.,Ltd tied up with Jean-Paul Hévin, one of the world famous chocolatier in Paris, and established JPH Japon Co.,Ltd. It opened JEAN-PAUL HÉVIN shops at Isetan Shinjuku store and Andersen Hiroshima.

2003

Changed the name of Diamond Food Inc. into Andersen Bakery Inc.

Introduced a holding company system and reorganized into 5 companies, Andersen Co.,Ltd, Andersen Bakery Partners Co.,Ltd(current Mermaid Bakery Partners Co.,Ltd),　Takaki Bakary Co.,Ltd,　Andersen Service Co.,Ltd,　Andersen Institute Bread & Life Co.,Ltd.

2004

Established Andersen Geihoku 100 Year Farm, located in Northern Hiroshima-Pref. Here is the place where wheat is grown and cultivated, flour is milled, dough is kneaded and bread is baked in stone ovens and comparisons can live and dine together. Young trainees of Shunsuke Takaki Baking School live for and learn all about bread-making from soil to table for two years.

Andersen Aoyama is renewed and re-opened (on November 17th). H.R.H.Prince Henrik visited the opening ceremony.
President Seiichi Takaki was appointed the position as Hans Christian Andersen Ambassador.

2005

Rebuilded Takaki Bakery Okayama factory and set up brick-ovens for the first time at the factories of Takaki Bakery.

Operated Andersen cafe and Nordic souvenir shop in the Scandinavian pavilion of Expo2005 Aichi Japan.

Donated and planted 200 cherry trees at Langelinie park in Copenhagen.

2007

Established Takaki Bakery Tsukuba factory, which make a specialty of baking by brick-oven, in Tsukuba and completed Tsukuba Retail Support Center.

Established Andersen Danmark A/S on November 6th.

Changed the name of Andersen Bakery Partners Co.,Ltd into Mermaid Bakery Partners Co.,Ltd.

Takaki Bakery Chiyoda factory and Okayama factory and head office acquired ISO22000 Certification which is the international standard for implementation of a certified food safety management system.

2008

Takaki Bakery Tsukuba factory acquired ISO22000 Certification.

Andersen bakery opened at Østerbro in Denmark on May 27th.

Established the new section for below school children in the Andersen Fairy Tale Award.

2009

Andersen bakery opened at Tivoli in Copenhagen on November 20th, marking the 50th anniversary of Shunsuke Takaki's first visit to Copenhagen,
where he was introduced to the Danish Pastry that ultimately changed his life.

2010

Takaki Bakery Co.,Ltd. released 「Raku-raku shokupan」,　a easy to chow bread. This bread is mainly for the people whose masticatory and swallowing performances are diminished due to increasing age. It is soft enough to scoop up with spoon and easily chewed in order to give elderly people a pleasure of bread without the risk of swallowing incorrectly.

Established Takaki Health Care Foods Co.,Ltd. which is focused on developing, planning and selling Healthcare Foods such as infant food or nursing care food.

2011

Andersen America opened a new concept store “Andersen Bread” in San Francisco downtown which focused on sandwiches and aims for bakery franchise development.

Along with structure reorganization of Andersen Group, Takaki Foodservice Partners is established with the aim of centralizing control over frozen dough or confectionery supply to restaurant industry.

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